March 28, 2024

Tuesday's Daily Pulse

What you need to know about Florida today

| 3/29/2016

Gov. Rick Scott's economic development chief resigns

Less than a month after the Legislature refused to give Scott $250 million to recruit more businesses to move to Florida, Scott announced Bill Johnson, the president and CEO of Enterprise Florida is leaving after just 14 months on the job. See the statement from Gov. Scott and Bill Johnson, here.

After Johnson's resignation, Gov. Scott issued a memo to EFI's board members, saying "Clearly, we have no choice but to refocus the efforts and mission of Enterprise Florida." Scott went on to outline new initiatives for the job-creation body, including needing to identify $6 million in cost-savings and seeking more funding from private donors. Read that full memo here.

Feds: Medicaid expansion would help mentally ill Floridians

Federal health officials says 726,000 uninsured Floridians suffered from mental health and substance abuse issues in 2014 and nearly half of them could have gotten treatment if the state expanded Medicaid. But Federal officials also say it's not too late. "Today’s report shows that Medicaid expansion is an important step Florida can take to address behavioral health needs, including serious mental illness and opioid and other substance use disorders," said HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. Read the statement and full report at this link. Also see more at the AP, Florida Politics, the South Florida Business Journal, and the Tampa Bay Times.

Home-purchase contracts highest since July

More Americans signed contracts to buy homes in February, with purchases surging ahead of the traditional spring buying season. The National Association of Realtors said Monday that its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index rose 3.5 percent to 109.1, rebounding from a 3 percent decline in January. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

How medical marijuana backers plan to win in 2016

Voters this year will again consider whether Florida should join 23 states and legalize full-strength marijuana for medical use. The proposed Amendment 2 won 58 percent of the needed 60 percent voter approval in 2014. [Source: Florida Today]

Survey: Economists more pessimistic on growth this year

Business economists are more pessimistic, predicting weaker growth in corporate profit and the economy than they were late last year, a survey found. The median estimate from economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics said business profits would rise 2 percent in 2016. [Source: AP]

See also:
» Economic naysayers, including Tampa's Harry Dent, are back with fresh reports of doom

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› With hotel, apartments, restaurants, retail, Butler Town Center planned as 'living room of Gainesville'
After decades as a sprawling big-box and strip center shopping area, Butler Plaza will soon get into the mixed-use business with development of the Butler Town Center with apartments over first-floor retail and restaurants, a seven-story Hyatt hotel and higher-end specialty shops around walkable, landscaped main streets.

› Once banned prostate cancer treatment arrives in Florida
Now, it’s no longer necessary for Americans to go overseas for the treatment called high-intensity focused ultrasound or HIFU. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made HIFU legal for prostate treatment in October.

› Florida beer biz goes global, first stop: Shanghai
World of Beer will officially expand outside the United States for the first time, with a new tavern in Shanghai, China. Executives with the Tampa-based craft tavern concept, which features more than 550 craft and international beers, say they have sought to expand globally for a few years.

› U.S. wildlife officials to soon decide on manatee status
A proposal to drop Florida's signature sea mammal from the endangered species list may come down to science versus public opinion.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

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Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices

Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

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